scholarly journals Conservation of the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in Spain (1966–2011): a bibliometric review of threats, research and adaptive management

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. MORENO-OPO ◽  
A. MARGALIDA
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Bibliometric Review ◽  
Cinereous Vulture ◽  
Game Hunting ◽  
Conservation Threats

SummaryDetecting and quantifying threats and researching and implementing management actions are key to improving the conservation status of endangered species. Bibliometric analysis can constitute a useful tool for the evaluation of such questions from a long-term perspective. Taking as a case study the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in Spain, we tested relationships between population dynamics, research efforts, existing threats and conservation milestones. The population growth of the species (from 206 pairs in 1976 to 2,068 in 2011) was parallelled by the increase in the total number of publications, the number of articles in SCI journals and the number of published works dealing with aspects of conservation, threats and management. These results are discussed in terms of cause-effect relationships taking into account that the influence of other non-mutually exclusive factors could also probably explain such associations. Similarly, we analysed the trend of the Cinereous Vulture breeding population with respect to different threats and indices of food availability, obtaining a positive correlation with the increase in big-game hunting bags in Spain. With respect to conservation milestones, we concluded that the current situation is positive in terms of the protection of the species and its habitat, with the situation in relation to food availability being unclear. Finally, we reviewed the main conservation actions that have been taken for the species in Spain and how these have been progressively modified based on new scientific and technical evidence, as an example of adaptive management applied to conservation.

scholarly journals Overview on the distribution of gorgonian species in Tunisian marine coastal waters (central Mediterranean)

2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raouia Ghanem ◽  
Emna Soufi Kechaou ◽  
Jamila Ben Souissi ◽  
Joaquim Garrabou
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Local Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Gorgonian Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
And Function

Gorgonian species play an important ecological role in the structure and function of marine communities. Human activities are negatively affecting the conservation status of gorgonian populations in the Mediterranean. Acquiring knowledge of gorgonian distribution is therefore a key step required to promote efficient management and conservation actions. However, information on the distribution of gorgonian species is lacking in many Mediterranean areas. This study aimed to provide an overview of the geographic and bathymetric distributions of gorgonians in the coastal waters of the Tunisian coast (1136 km). The sampling design encompassed three sectors, 27 localities and 87 sites. Information was collected from scuba diving (26 sites) and local ecological knowledge surveys of fishermen and divers (132 interviews), as well as from a literature review. Overall, the occurrence of eight gorgonians was confirmed at 54 out of the 87 sites surveyed in Tunisian coastal waters (7-120 m depth). The species that were found were Eunicella singularis, Eunicella cavolini, Paramuricea clavata, Paramuricea macrospina, Leptogorgia sarmentosa, Eunicella verrucosa, Corallium rubrum and Ellisella paraplexauroides. The highest gorgonian species richness and abundance was recorded in northern, followed by eastern Tunisian waters. In the southern areas only one species was recorded. This pattern was related to the rocky substrate that characterizes the northern and eastern coasts of Tunisia. This study is the first to report the occurrence of E. singularis, E. cavolini, E. verrucosa and Leptogorgia sarmentosa in northern and eastern Tunisian waters. The results are discussed in the hope of guiding future conservation and management actions for gorgonian assemblages in Tunisia.

Strategies to improve implementation of adaptive management practices for restoration in coastal Louisiana

Shore & Beach ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Tim Carruthers ◽  
Richard Raynie ◽  
Alyssa Dausman ◽  
Syed Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Agency ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Coastal Restoration ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Coastal Louisiana ◽  
Restoration Effort

Natural resources of coastal Louisiana support the economies of Louisiana and the whole of the United States. However, future conditions of coastal Louisiana are highly uncertain due to the dynamic processes of the Mississippi River delta, unpredictable storm events, subsidence, sea level rise, increasing temperatures, and extensive historic management actions that have altered natural coastal processes. To address these concerns, a centralized state agency was formed to coordinate coastal protection and restoration effort, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). This promoted knowledge centralization and supported informal adaptive management for restoration efforts, at that time mostly funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). Since the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in 2010 and the subsequent settlement, the majority of restoration funding for the next 15 years will come through one of the DWH mechanisms; Natural Resource and Damage Assessment (NRDA), the RESTORE Council, or National Fish and Wildlife Foundation –Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF-GEBF). This has greatly increased restoration effort and increased governance complexity associated with project funding, implementation, and reporting. As a result, there is enhanced impetus to formalize and unify adaptive management processes for coastal restoration in Louisiana. Through synthesis of input from local coastal managers, historical and current processes for project and programmatic implementation and adaptive management were summarized. Key gaps and needs to specifically increase implementation of adaptive management within the Louisiana coastal restoration community were identified and developed into eight tangible and specific recommendations. These were to streamline governance through increased coordination amongst implementing entities, develop a discoverable and practical lessons learned and decision database, coordinate ecosystem reporting, identify commonality of restoration goals, develop a common cross-agency adaptive management handbook for all personnel, improve communication (both in-reach and outreach), have a common repository and clearing house for numerical models used for restoration planning and assessment, and expand approaches for two-way stakeholder engagement throughout the restoration process. A common vision and maximizing synergies between entities can improve adaptive management implementation to maximize ecosystem and community benefits of restoration effort in coastal Louisiana. This work adds to current knowledge by providing specific strategies and recommendations, based upon extensive engagement with restoration practitioners from multiple state and federal agencies. Addressing these practitioner-identified gaps and needs will improve engagement in adaptive management in coastal Louisiana, a large geographic area with high restoration implementation within a complex governance framework.

Chasing the phantom: biogeography and conservation of Vipera latastei-monticola in the Maghreb (North Africa)

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Freitas ◽  
Soumia Fahd ◽  
Guillermo Velo-Antón ◽  
Fernando Martínez-Freiría
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Habitat Transformation ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Suitable Space ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Maghreb region (North Africa) constitutes a major component of the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot. During the last centuries, a consistent human population growth has led to an unprecedented rate of habitat transformation and loss in the region and thus, threatening its biodiversity. The Western Mediterranean viper Vipera latastei-monticola inhabits humid and subhumid areas in the main mountain ranges of the Maghreb, facing such threatening factors; however, its elusive character and rarity hindered data collection for distinct biological purposes. Here, we study the biogeographical patterns and conservation status of the Maghrebian V. latastei-monticola resulting from recent sampling campaigns in Morocco and Tunisia. We update species distribution, and integrate phylogeographic and ecological niche modelling analyses at both species and lineage level to identify suitable areas, and to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic transformation and level of protection of their suitable space. We identified four highly divergent mitochondrial lineages, including a new lineage endemic to the Western High Atlas, with allopatric distributions and restricted to mountain ranges, supporting the role of mountains as past climatic refugia. Despite the remoteness of suitable areas, we report widespread habitat degradation and identify the low effectiveness of the current protected areas system in preserving the species and lineages range. Our study shows the urgent need to apply management actions for the long-term conservation of this vulnerable species and suggests a revaluation of the specific status of V. monticola, as these populations likely represent an ecotype of V. latastei.

scholarly journals Spatial distribution of the Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) in Sardinia explained by land use and climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianpasquale Chiatante ◽  
Marta Giordano ◽  
Anna Vidus Rosin ◽  
Oreste Sacchi ◽  
Alberto Meriggi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
European Population ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Study Sites

AbstractMore than half of the European population of the Barbary Partridge is in Sardinia; nonetheless, the researches concerning this species are very scarce, and its conservation status is not defined because of a deficiency of data. This research aimed to analyse the habitat selection and the factors affecting the abundance and the density of the Barbary Partridge in Sardinia. We used the data collected over 8 years (between 2004 and 2013) by spring call counts in 67 study sites spread on the whole island. We used GLMM to define the relationships between the environment (topography, land use, climate) both the occurrence and the abundance of the species. Moreover, we estimated population densities by distance sampling. The Barbary Partridge occurred in areas at low altitude with garrigue and pastures, avoiding woodlands and sparsely vegetated areas. We found a strong relationship between the occurrence probability and the climate, in particular, a positive relation with temperature and a negative effect of precipitation, especially in April–May, during brood rearing. Furthermore, dry crops positively affected the abundance of the species. We estimated a density of 14.1 partridges per km2, similar to other known estimates. Our findings are important both because they increase the knowledge concerning this species, which is considered data deficient in Italy, and because they are useful to plan management actions aimed to maintain viable populations if necessary.

Seriemas: A Literature Assessment and Recommendations for Future Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Méndez ◽  
Zackery Szymczycha ◽  
Jeremiah Sullivan ◽  
Christopher J. W. McClure
Keyword(s):  
Keyword Search ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
South American ◽  
South American Species ◽  
Systematic Map ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Territorial Behaviors

ABSTRACT Red-legged Seriemas (Cariama cristata) and Black-legged Seriemas (Chunga burmeisteri) are two exclusively South American species that inhabit open and sparsely forested areas. Seriemas have been recently included with the raptors based on ecological and evolutionary evidence. Viewing seriemas as raptors is nontraditional and might be controversial. Therefore, further information regarding the evolution, taxonomy, morphology, and ecology of these birds will clarify the validity of their consideration as raptors. Here we present a review of the published information on seriemas, and discuss future research for these newly adopted raptors. To conduct our review, we developed a systematic map and searched all databases available within Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, performed a keyword search of Google Scholar, and included the corresponding bibliographies from the Birds of the World website. We reviewed 98 studies, and found that the Red-legged Seriema was the subject of more studies than the Black-legged Seriema. Overall, Brazil and Argentina were the site of most studies. The majority of studies examined physiology (48), followed by behavior (37), threats to the survival of these species (36), and demography (27), while smaller numbers of studies examined stressors (e.g., habitat changes, causes of mortality and injury such as predation, hunting, etc.) (20), and conservation actions (10). Patterns of study categorizations were similar for both species, and the distribution of studies across months was also fairly even for both species. This is the first study to systematically review and assess the published information on seriemas. Our results show the topics and locations on which past studies have focused, and highlight potentially fruitful avenues for future research. Although threats to seriemas have been identified, these have not been thoroughly assessed; thus, their extent and effects on seriema populations were difficult to ascertain. Future research should focus on testing existing hypotheses regarding seriema feeding, vocalization, social, and territorial behaviors, while documenting natural history. Researchers should build on past investigations while establishing programs to monitor the conservation status of seriemas across their ranges.

Dietary composition of endangered seahorses determined by stable isotope analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 831 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Valladares ◽  
D. X. Soto ◽  
M. Planas
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Isotope Mixing Models ◽  
North Western

The lack of integrated measures for assessing the feeding ecology of seahorses may restrict the effectiveness of conservation actions on wild populations of worldwide threatened seahorse species. Identifying dietary sources will allow researchers to determine their degree of vulnerability to environmental changes, redefine their conservation status and apply appropriate management strategies. The resource use of the seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus inhabiting coastal waters of Galicia (north-western Iberian Peninsula) was assessed for three populations and 2 years using stable isotope mixing models. The Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) estimated the relative contributions of the dietary sources to the seahorse diet and revealed that Caprellidea were the primary source, followed by Gammaridea and Caridea. Mysidae and Annelida represented the less dominant prey. This prey preference can be explained by the foraging behaviour of seahorses. Different contributions of Gammaridea and Caridea to the diet were found among sites, indicating different habitat characteristics and hence different habitat use by seahorses within each site. In addition, differences were encountered among sexes. Caprellidea was the dominant prey for females, whereas Gammaridea was the dominant prey for males. The findings of the present study will contribute to the knowledge of feeding patterns of H. guttulatus, providing relevant data for conservation of this endangered species.

scholarly journals Implications of Spatially Variable Costs and Habitat Conversion Risk in Landscape-Scale Conservation Planning

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 402-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Post van der Burg ◽  
Neil Chartier ◽  
Ryan Drum
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Habitat Conservation ◽  
Optimal Placement ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
The North ◽  
Conservation Costs ◽  
Conservation Actions

Abstract “Strategic habitat conservation” refers to a process used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop cost-efficient strategies for conserving wildlife populations and their habitats. Strategic habitat conservation focuses on resolving uncertainties surrounding habitat conservation to meet specific wildlife population objectives (i.e., targets) and developing tools to guide where conservation actions should be focused on the landscape. Although there are examples of using optimization models to highlight where conservation should be delivered, such methods often do not explicitly account for spatial variation in the costs of conservation actions. Furthermore, many planning approaches assume that habitat protection is a preferred option, but they do not assess its value relative to other actions, such as restoration. We developed a case study to assess the implications of accounting for and ignoring spatial variation in conservation costs in optimizing conservation targets. We included assumptions about habitat loss to determine the extent to which protection or restoration would be necessary to meet an established population target. Our case study focused on optimal placement of grassland protection or restoration actions to influence bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus populations in the tallgrass prairie ecoregion of the north central United States. Our results show that not accounting for spatially variable costs doubled or tripled the cost of meeting the population target. Furthermore, our results suggest that one should not assume that protecting existing habitat is always a preferred option. Rather, our results show that the balance between protection and restoration can be influenced by a combination of desired targets, assumptions about habitat loss, and the relative cost of the two actions. Our analysis also points out how difficult it may be to reach targets, given the expense to meet them. We suggest that a full accounting of expected costs and benefits will help to guide development of viable management actions and meaningful conservation plans.

Identifying the weakest link: simulating adaptive management of the reintroduction of a threatened fish

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (11) ◽  
pp. 1709-1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R Bearlin ◽  
E S.G Schreiber ◽  
Simon J Nicol ◽  
A M Starfield ◽  
Charles R Todd
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Weak Link ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Endangered Fish ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Goals And Objectives ◽  
Management Cycle

As part of an ongoing program of management for a critically endangered fish, we explored adaptive management as a method to overcome pervasive uncertainty regarding the reintroduction of trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis Cuvier). We simulated the entire adaptive management cycle to explore the suitability of the approach for guiding threatened species management and to identify problems and barriers to "learning by doing". During the planning phase, a number of compromises were identified between specification of goals and objectives, the available management options, and current monitoring capacity. Undertaking a simulation of the implementation of alternate adaptive approaches to this reintroduction provided a number of insights into adaptive management in general. First, identifying the weak link in the process of inference emphasized the need to consider whether goals and objectives are achievable and meaningful and whether they complement monitoring and (or) any other limitations of the system. Second, in natural resource management, it is crucial to negotiate objectives in the light of what one can measure. Third, although there are lessons to be learned from each stage of the adaptive management cycle, there is value in simulating the entire adaptive management cycle, including management actions, monitoring, and the states of the system that lead to management intervention.

scholarly journals Selecting key areas for conservation at the regional level: the case of the globally ‘Near Threatened’ Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in south-east Portugal

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEDRO M. LOURENÇO ◽  
NUNO CURADO ◽  
FILIPA LOUREIRO ◽  
ALFONSO GODINO ◽  
EDUARDO SANTOS
Keyword(s):  
Regional Level ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Bibliographic Search ◽  
Cinereous Vulture ◽  
Suitability Maps ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Hierarchy Process

SummarySince the resources available for nature conservation tend to be very limited, localised conservation actions are often the only feasible management option. Therefore, we must select key areas where these actions will be most effective. Here we used Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) to integrate various variables in a GIS environment and identify key areas for implementing conservation actions benefiting Cinereous Vultures Aegypius monachusin south-east Portugal. Through a bibliographic search, we selected four main variables and sub-variables related to land use, food availability, disturbance and topography. These were weighted for their relative importance using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and combined using WLC to obtain suitability maps for the best nesting and foraging sites for Cinereous Vultures. Overall, the study areas show moderate to high suitability as foraging areas for the species, but only a few small patches seem suitable as nesting sites. The use of GIS-based decision support systems, such as WLC, together with an objective method for weighting variables, like the AHP, allows for the integration of large amounts of cartographic information into suitability maps that can easily be used to select key areas for conservation at the regional level.

scholarly journals Review of the status and conservation of tenrecs (Mammalia: Afrotheria: Tenrecidae)

Oryx ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Stephenson ◽  
Voahangy Soarimalala ◽  
Steven M. Goodman ◽  
Martin E. Nicoll ◽  
Vonjy Andrianjakarivelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Incidental Capture ◽  
The Status ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Data Deficient ◽  
Essential Knowledge ◽  
Development Objectives ◽  
Near Future

Abstract The mammal family Tenrecidae (Afrotheria: Afrosoricida) is endemic to Madagascar. Here we present the conservation priorities for the 31 species of tenrec that were assessed or reassessed in 2015–2016 for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Six species (19.4%) were found to be threatened (4 Vulnerable, 2 Endangered) and one species was categorized as Data Deficient. The primary threat to tenrecs is habitat loss, mostly as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture, but some species are also threatened by hunting and incidental capture in fishing traps. In the longer term, climate change is expected to alter tenrec habitats and ranges. However, the lack of data for most tenrecs on population size, ecology and distribution, together with frequent changes in taxonomy (with many cryptic species being discovered based on genetic analyses) and the poorly understood impact of bushmeat hunting on spiny species (Tenrecinae), hinders conservation planning. Priority conservation actions are presented for Madagascar's tenrecs for the first time since 1990 and focus on conserving forest habitat (especially through improved management of protected areas) and filling essential knowledge gaps. Tenrec research, monitoring and conservation should be integrated into broader sustainable development objectives and programmes targeting higher profile species, such as lemurs, if we are to see an improvement in the conservation status of tenrecs in the near future.

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